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Can one of the Sata ports be used as eSATA?

SDAVE

SDAVE

macrumors 601
Original poster
Is this even possible? I don't want to use up one more extra slot on my Mac Pro. I am willing to not use Bay 4 so I can route a SATA to eSATA cable outside of the Mac Pro.
 
Since you could only connect one drive that way, I'm not sure what you'd gain. You're really that put off by adding a card?
 
Well I was going to add an external RAID5 setup with a single SATAII connection.

Since I have 2 cards in the Mac Pro already (these are used under Windows), I plan to add another one (OSX capture card) I will have zero PCIe slots left. Now I have to think about how I am going to run out an eSATA cable out of the case since there are no extra holes on this?? I guess I have to be sneaky here....
 
SDAVE said:
Well I was going to add an external RAID5 setup with a single SATAII connection.

Since I have 2 cards in the Mac Pro already (these are used under Windows), I plan to add another one (OSX capture card) I will have zero PCIe slots left. Now I have to think about how I am going to run out an eSATA cable out of the case since there are no extra holes on this?? I guess I have to be sneaky here....
Click to expand...

RAID 5 requires a minimum of 3 drives. A SATA connection supports one drive. How do you plan for this to happen?

You can get a port multiplier external case, but that must be driven from a port-multiplier-compatible PCI/PCI-e card so you are back where you started.

SATA is not like Firewire. You cannot daisychain.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, since it's been a while, but I thought SATA and eSATA connectors are different to begin with. 😱

And like CanadaRAM pointed out, you need a PCIe card to hook up through eSATA connector a port-multiplier enclosure for SATA HDs and your Mac Pro. At least that's how mine is set up. 😉

Cheers. :apple:
 
CanadaRAM said:
RAID 5 requires a minimum of 3 drives. A SATA connection supports one drive. How do you plan for this to happen?

You can get a port multiplier external case, but that must be driven from a port-multiplier-compatible PCI/PCI-e card so you are back where you started.

SATA is not like Firewire. You cannot daisychain.
Click to expand...

One word: eSATA RAID....well that's two words. 😎

http://www.caldigit.com/S2VRHD.asp

MacTO said:
Correct me if I am wrong, since it's been a while, but I thought SATA and eSATA connectors are different to begin with. 😱

And like CanadaRAM pointed out, you need a PCIe card to hook up through eSATA connector a port-multiplier enclosure for SATA HDs and your Mac Pro. At least that's how mine is set up. 😉

Cheers. :apple:
Click to expand...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189158
 
-Alan- said:
Check this article out.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that! So it is possible!

Unfortunately from what I've researched those two ports only work under OSX and not Windows [via Bootcamp] (I need capability on both).

If those ports were working ok, then I'm sure the Bay4 (or any other) port will work without issues. Either way, these ports go through the Intel controller, and I'm sure I'll get the same speed results even if I put in a PCIe cards for eSATA.
 
That's SATA to SATA, though...wanted to know if anyone is doing SATA to eSATA (even with those SATA to eSATA brackets) without putting in a PCIe card.
 
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